IPO shares are divided among retail and institutional investors to ensure fair participation. This prevents large investors from dominating the market, making IPOs accessible to all.
Let’s understand the three key investor categories for an initial public offering—RII, NII and QIB.
RII includes small investors who can apply for shares for up to ₹2 lakh in an IPO. Usually, 10-35% of the shares are reserved for this category to ensure public participation.
NII refers to high net-worth individuals and entities applying for shares above ₹2 lakh. They are allocated 15% of IPO shares and cannot bid at a discounted price.
NII investors who place bids for shares between ₹2 to ₹10 lakh are called Small NII (sNII). Generally, one-third of the shares in the NII category are reserved for sNII.
NII investors who bid for shares worth more than ₹10 lakhs are called Big NII (bNII). Usually, two-thirds of the shares in the NII category are reserved for bNII.
QIB includes institutions like mutual funds, insurance companies and banks. Depending on the issue, 50-90% of the IPO shares are allotted to QIBs.
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